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Regional News for May 11, 2002

Edited by John Stevenson

Australian mountain biking moves to unification

By John Stevenson

After three years of uneasy separation, Australia's two mountain bike racing bodies are moving closer to reunification. Since 1999 the Australian Mountain Bike Association (AMBA - part of national governing body Cycling Australia) and Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) have run separate national series, arguably resulting in reduced race attendances and less interest in the sport from bike and component importers and other sponsors.

Certainly race numbers have been down. The last unified national championships attracted 750 cross-country and downhill racers ; since then only participation-orientated events such as 12- and 24-hour races and the Polaris MTB orienteering events have attracted much over 500 competitors.

The original cause of the separation was disagreement over how mountain bike racing should be governed and run, with the clubs that founded MTBA wanting more autonomy for mountain biking. The division roughly followed state lines, with MTBA covering most Victorian clubs and the small but highly active Australian Capital Territory, and New South Wales and Queensland clubs staying with AMBA.

This week the two organisations issued a joint statement announcing moves toward reunification after 14 months of talks. Recognising that the two organisations working together "is in the best interest of all mountain bike riders", AMBA chair Shelley Kamevaar and MTBA president Tony Scott said "MTBA and AMBA have agreed, as the first step towards re-unification, to make all future plans inclusive of both bodies. The united aim will be the formation of a single National MTB body to administer our sport in time to run one National MTB Series starting with the 2002-2003 summer."

Cyclingnews asked Kamevaar and Scott what the immediate result was likely to be - was a single national series for the 2002-2003 season practical? Kamevaar replied, "We are working on that theory, but of course there are plenty of hurdles at the state administration level that we need to get support with, so at this stage this press release is what we consider our first step and we are both very excited that there has finally been some sort of move forward."

Scott agreed that after three years of working separately "the time is right to join things up again and work towards a much stronger MTB presence in both competition and recreation."

"As Shelley has indicated, there are many issues yet still to discuss, but while MTBA and AMBA were working in, essentially, isolation from each other there could be really no understanding on what the issues really are for the two bodies. Agreeing to share information and strategies will go a long way to fixing that.

"Now that we have announced formally that AMBA and MTBA will be sharing information and working together, the development of a single National Series and Championship can start with the best venues around Australia now being available."

The next hurdle the two organisations face will be convincing state bodies and clubs of the benefits of reunification. Since the split, for example, New South Wales MTB clubs have benefited from far greater assistance and funding from the NSW Cycling Federation, It remains to be seen if all the affected clubs will want a new structure. However, Scott was upbeat. "I do not think that there is a single substantive issue that AMBA and MTBA disagree on, so far as the administrative structure of the new MTB body is concerned," he said.

Garda Water Unit to escort FBD Milk Ras riders

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

The Garda Water Unit is expected to provide additional security for the FBD Milk Ras riders when they tackle five kilometres of extremely narrow road after passing through Ballinamore on Stage 1 of the race on next Sunday week. The reason for the involvement of a water unit in a cycle race is the closeness of the road to the Shannon - Erne waterway. Dubbed the Paris-Roubaix of this year's FBD Milk Ras, the famous French cycling classic will be dramatically reflected in the final kilometres of the stage as the top class field of international riders face a daunting 10 kilometre circuit that takes in what was once the Cavan - Leitrim railway line, running spectacularly alongside the Shannon Erne waterway.

While it lacks the pave of Paris Roubaix the Ballinamore circuit presents an even greater challenge to the riders. One wrong move on a road barely wide enough to take three cyclists abreast and the waterway is close enough to receive the less fortunate of the fallers. It will be a stunning stretch of racing, 200 riders on a road that at times is only 10 feet wide, and each of the riders determined to be in the frame for the honour and glory of winning the opening stage and the first yellow jersey of the fiftieth edition of the race.

As well as Ballinamore the race takes in stage finishes in Nenagh, Killorglin, Castletownbere, Midleton, Arklow, Baltinglass before finishing in the Phoenix Park on Sunday afternoon, 26th May.

Owens to get UCI scholarship

From the end of May Irish professional rider Tarja Owens will be moving base from Italy to the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland to participate in the UCI Scholarship programme. This will certainly help with her campaign for the Olympic games in Athens in 2004 with the scholarship having a structured focus on the next Games. During her stay Tarja will be coached by ex European MTB Champion and professional rider Chantel Daucourt. The scholarship is aimed at athletes who do not have access to the level of coaching and training in their own countries which is needed to excel in their various fields. Other areas that she will benefit in at the High Level Training Centre (HLTC) are the in house sports monitoring, medical monitoring and care, accommodation, transport and one of the biggest areas of contention for athletes today, funding.

Noel Hammond memorial this Sunday

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent

Normally organised for late April, the Noel Hammond Memorial moved its fixture date to facilitate the running of the Elliott because of a clash on the international calendar. Bray Wheelers were indeed indebted to the sporting gesture by the Orwell Wheelers. Of course the Orwell are fully versed in Union Cycliste International events as Stephen Roche he of triple fame in 1987 (Giro, Tour de France and World Championships). There are not many clubs on the globe who can boast that one of their own achieved all that notoriety.

Well on Sunday the village of Ballyboughal in Co. Dublin will echo to the whirring sound of wheels and the lyrca tunics of the competitors.

"Indeed we are back on our stomping ground to organise the Memorial event which has been on the go for twenty years. Invariably it always attracts a good entry and a worthy winner always surfaces.

"I have a distinct feeling that Philip Cassidy enjoys the grind around these roads and the climb up the Nags Head doesn't really bother him. His fellow competitors suffer a lot on these roads that are not state of the art. In the last four years, Philip's record of three win and a second is simply magic.

"No doubt he would love to add another win to his long achievements," said Kieron Hammond organiser of the event.

The event this year is part of the Classic League that means instead of six laps around the 20k course there will be that extra bit of suffering.

It was noticeable last weekend in Ulster that a lot were suffering from influenza that many put down particularly to the cold weather endured in the Elliott the week previous.

On this occasion I'll have to bypass Philip Cassidy," The Clonee Express", and plump for Eddie O'Donoghue who seems back to his early season form.

Most of Eddie's support team, Carrick Cidona, will be at the Lincolnshire Grand Prix but this will not deter the Cidona man from increasing his lead in the CI rankings.

In Kelly/Roche race, the juniors from the Kanturk (Cork) Credit Union club will again make the long journey from their southern base to renew rivalry with the Usher Irish (Tallaght) Road Club juniors. On paper it looks as if the "Whirlwind" Paudi O'Brien will be on the podium again on Sunday.

It is a tremendous effort on behalf of the Orwell club that they can stage an event without sponsorship, but then again the late Noel Hammond was something special and the race deserves 100% support. I was privileged to have worked alongside him for many years back in the '70's as an executive member of the Irish Cycling Federation. His brief in those days was the development of all facets of cycling. Tragically he was not around when Stephen brought glory and ride to club and country.

The action starts at 11.30 and dressing this year is in Ballyboughal.

ESCA grant boosts Edinburgh kids' track

The East of Scotland Cycling Association has been awarded £4,000 by Awards for All toward the purchase of 10 bikes for children to use on Meadowbank Velodrome

The Association promoted a successful pilot scheme in 2001 with the support of the City of Edinburgh Council who provided 15 mini track bikes to allow 8 to 16 year olds to take part in a series of organised activities at Meadowbank Velodrome. The Association hoped to attract around 20 newcomers to cycle racing, but the scheme was so successful that within weeks over 50 children were turning up to regular weekly sessions and additional bikes were required to cope with demand.

Brian Annable, East of Scotland Cycling Association Secretary, said "We are delighted that sportScotland and Awards for All have agreed to support us in this way. The grant will enable us to purchase additional bikes to allow the local community to take part in cycling which they otherwise would not be able to do due to the specialist equipment required."

One of the beneficiaries of the new bikes will be the local children's cycling club, Edinburgh Racers who have over 50 members under the age of 16. Club coach Allister Watson commented "It has been a real struggle trying to allow the children to take part in cycling as we simply did not have enough bikes to go round. The availability of an additional 10 bikes will make a huge difference to our activities and hopefully we will see future Olympic Champions coming through to succeed the likes of Chris Hoy and Craig Maclean."